Spark Eater
by Bellatrix.Sauciata
Summary: As Starscream returns to his native planet to gather the Decepticons that the war left alive, something long forgotten emerges from the depths of theplanet in which the destroyed Cube took refuge. But taking back a life requires an horrible price to pay
1. Prologue: Imprinting

**Disclaimer:** _'Transformers' and all related media, merchandise and trademarks do not belong to me and I won't any money from using them in this fiction. They belong to their respective companies. Any original characters or concepts in this story that are from other fictions are used with direct permission from the authors in question._

* * *

**Spark Eater**

_**Prologue: **__**Imprinting**_

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**Earth. 20****th**** September 2005**

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_There was a time when the grounds of Cybertron weren't dark with the ashes of the millions of burned, extinguished sparks__. _

_Actually, b__efore the war came devastating everything on its way, there was a time when the planet itself would seem a live creature made up by metal, shining and reflecting the faint tingling of the stars all around its form. _

_But that was a memory long forgotten. As well as the feeling to fly in the rushing wind across the skies of his home planet. His wings felt all but heavy through the steady, sickening still air of the atmosphere while he soared over the ruins. _

_The Seeker__ let out a rasping, high-pitched shriek. _

Primus. Everytime I get back this place seems worse than before.

_It irritated him to no end how his powerful, roaring engines would meet the numb sensatio__n of the nothingness around him, but it irritated him even more the simple idea that, despite his will, he couldn't push himself to full power_.

To claim command over what remains of the Decepticon Army is the only slagging reason worth for my return here, frag it-_ one of his scanners abruptly started to beeping faintly. _

_He__ barrel-rolled, just to try and shrug off that tedious feeling of heaviness, pointing his nose to the ground and bending down with a twist. A booming sonic wave erupted from his sleek form, scanning and recording the details that surrounded him, sending back to him an overview of the land below._

_Old craters scattered here and there, where old explosion__s had left only cold holes; dust; old buildings almost unrecognizable; dust; smashed columns; a claw-like pylaster almost eroded from time. Dust. Again. And- six hundred feet above the shadowy, glowing fog that swallowed the surface of Cybertron, invisible traces of heat that rose in swirls._

_It didn't take too much to identify the body. _

_Almost covered from the fluttering mist, __the protoform was laying in an awkward angle on the dirt. A thin coat of ice-like crystals covered its whole frame, melting only immediately near the hole in its chassis. _

_The smell of burned metal and wires, as well as the fluids that were slowly filling the gape where the spark chamber of the mech once had been, was obnoxious. He suppressed a disgusted growl and took again for the sky, gaining height second by second. _

_He settled the his internal scanners on the traces of the still warm plasma burst that had taken the life of the now dead carcass. _

_With the Autobots gone, scattered around the galaxy- some to flee from their enemies, other probably still searching for the Allspark- Cybertron was like a ghost, fluttering mute in the space: except for eventual survivals and very few other creatures, no one inhabited it anymore- and that was what made it the perfect refuge for the remaining Decepticon troops. _

_Hiding among the leftovers of the age-long war or in the old mines, alone or in small groups, but still an almost constant presence on their lost world. _

_And being the Decepticons, by nature and birthright, a race that didn't care at all for weakling and companionship, finding victims of the fight that often bursted among their ranking wasn't so uncommon._

_Although it was __**such**__ a waste. _

_Suddenly, a new noise buzzed through the air. _

_At first he couldn't almost recognize the source of it. But soon the initial growling, crackling sound grew louder and louder as the sleek, light form of an alien aircraft emerged from the shadows of the horizon. The deep blue paintjob gleamed darkly under the faint light of the nearest star. _

_The Air Commander let out an hiss in satisfaction as the sound reached the limits and exploded in the booming, thundering ear-splitting roar that had earned his wingmate the name of Thundercraker; so many Autobots cowered in dread __at the thought of the flier when the battle for the Allspark was still on Cybertron- and oh, how many memories. _

_The thrill of destruction, the screeches of mirth that echoed as the ground pounders were left exposed to the fire of his trine. _

_Hi__s own shriek detonated in the heavens. _

_He didn't care for the strange, high-pitched, faint noise that was ringing under the deep rumble of his brother until it became louder, louder, louder, LOUDER-_

* * *

The body fell with a deaf _thump _right in the blood-stained grass, shivering.

He didn't know that humans could emit sound so high.

He tried to shake the disturbing shrill that was coming from the small figure somewhere near his claw off of his audio receptors. His instinct was starting to make its way inside his processor, commanding him to do something to just end the hideous noise. It would be so, oh so simple- _just pick up the fleshbag and squish it_. _Carve a hole in its body. Off-line. Won't be making any sound anymore. Do it!_

The Seeker hissed loudly, jaw clenched so hard the metal could be heard screeching. The human was on his knees and hands, struggling to balance itself enough to crawl away from him, but it was so obvious that it was _so slow._ He could end this before it was able to see the incoming threat. One of his long, thin talon twitched, moving towards the shaking, petite frame, looming over the earthling for a moment before coming down, cutting the texture of the clothes.

Another screech erupted from the small creature's mouth as it hit the ground, one hand gripping its chest; only, this time- and with utterly horror- the Seeker felt his own scratchy voice raising up in a shriek as a flash of burning white light sent a jolt of agonizing pain up his arm and through his chest, digging in the deepest reaches of his inner spark.

_Oh, no. __No, no, no, slag it all! That couldn't be! _

The pain tingled brutally for many, interminable seconds and then slowly decreased, allowing him to suck in air through his vent. Images flashed briefly inside his processor- the booming sound of Thundercraker engine, the heat signature of four, five Cybertronian not so far from them.

He grumbled, moving his hand from his chassis to his cranium- and grumbled even more when the human slowly mimicked his movement, still trembling, its head so close to the grassy ground that the dark, short fur on it- _hair_- soon was splashed with the mixture of blood and mud splattered on the ground. He couldn't see its features, but he knew. It was seeing the same memory he had came across a second before, and slag, it was only confirming his suspicions.

And it was_ only-their-fault_.

_They're SO gonna pay for this. __Once I've finished with them they'll wish to be off-lined so hard they will begging me to put an end to their miserable existence and send them to the Pit!_ He snarled, letting out a string of curses in his own language. Not only his wingmates had betrayed him, both as a leader and as a companion- because of them now he had only one slagging half of his spark. The other half…well, it was clear where it _was_ now.

The Seeker bared his teeth and growled softly, watching the fleshbag as it unsteadily raised on his own feet and casted a glance up on him. A surge of disgust flashed in his mind: it smelled of sweat and fear; its clothes where torn in many points, leaving bare stripes of flesh, but at a quick glance no one could tell where the fabric ended and the skin started, for the dirt covered both.

_A__ femme. _And quite young, too. Her body was far from resembling one of the adults of her species. _Primus, of all the slagging curse I got the worst. _

Yet, there couldn't be mistakes: he was bound to it. Even if he refused to accept that there was a communication between their mind, the two equal-looking, pale scars that crossed both his chassis and the human's chest, emerging from what remained of his burned, shredded shirt were the obvious signal of it. As well as that other particular. Which human on Earth would have one normal, dark brown eyes while the other was glowing, a faint red shadow casted upon it?

She made a small step back, swaying visibly on her feet: - W-what was _that_? - she murmured weakly. Her voice didn't sound high and piercing anymore- hoarse, unsteady, and with some kind of accent.

_Femme, youngling and plus she's a complete idiot_. Or crazy. Instead of running like any other of his species there she was, asking stupid questions! Never mind. He raised his claws again, hissing, with full intention to smash her. Bond or not, stupidity was a reason worth to kill her right there.

His spark jerked in his chest before he could even lock sight on his target. The fist went down and hit the ground _hard_, barely missing her. The girl fell on his back with a yelp, cursing when a talon hammered in the dirt –just an inch from her leg.

He could feel her heart rate increase and the smell of her fear growing stronger- and couldn't help but let out a mocking chuckle. _That's it. Fear me! _

He couldn't hurt her, right, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to scare her off. And keep her in line.

The teenager cursed through clenched teeth, pressing her hands on the grass to try and get on her feet again. The Seeker pointed menacingly a claw to he stomach, careful not to touch the hideously tender flesh, forcing her to lay back again.

"Stay where you are, organic." he spat out with venom. "It's the only place you're fit for". A smirk grew on his face when her eyes stared back at him, filled with surprise at first- and then narrowing when the meaning of the words hit her.

"_Stronzo..._" she muttered under her breath. Definitely not English. Her fingers balled into tiny fists as he towered on her. She winced slightly, but had enough gut to answer: " Y-you can't kill me. "

_Oh, so pathetic_! He laughed mockingly, optics burning with amusement:"And tell me, where did you pick that idea?" he shot back, baring his teeth.

The human moved suddenly, raising her arm with something in her palm- a rock. Instead of delivering a strike on the living metal that now surrounded her she aimed to her own leg, without hesitation, and before he could even think to stop her the Seeker howled and jerked back as a sharp shot of pain surged through his bird-like leg.

Ok, so _apparently_ she wasn't so stupid as he had thought, slag her to the Pit. He snarled and shot her a glare when a faint shadow of a smile appeared on those pale lips.

"Don't you dare laughing at me, you insect!" he hissed. " I cannot kill you_, _right, but it is still I who has the upper hand. Another insolence like this and I'll teach you the true meaning of pain right here and now, bond or not."

It worked. The ghost of the small smile vanished and the girl's face crumpled in a white, nervous mask covered in dirt.

She took in a deep breath, lowering her gaze on the surface. He felt a wave reaching the bond, and slowly the anger and panic vanished. The girl kept her eyes pointed on the ground:"Can I stand up?" she asked.

"Absolutely _not_."

"Afraid I might smash a rock on my toe or something else?"

He growled.

" You'd better not." The Cybertronian slowly crouched back letting out a loud _snort_, optics still planted in her discordant colored eyes:" And don't try ever again to use the bond to hurt me. It's a sign of disrespect for the connection."

She gritted her teeth, but managed to stay calm:" I wasn't the one who wanted this so called "bond". " she answered back, her voice flat. Despite her accent she could talk English smoothly, without apparent difficulties.

"But you are within its power now, so show me respect. Others of my own kind would have already squished you."

- And you didn't think to _do it _just some moments ago. - she murmured under her breath.

The Seeker sneered: " I did, but that would be just too easy, considering that it is your fault if we ended in this situation…"

She stared at him, mouth agape:" What? "

He ignored her:" …so, I think I'm going to keep you. Since I'm unable to move you will do that for me and keep me informed, starting from now." She tried to reply, but he poked her just above the belly to stop her. Hard enough to knock out her breath. "It's the least you can do to repair your stupidity. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be imprinted to a slagging human." he growled threateningly.

"But…"

"_No "but". You will obey me."_ he snarled, making her jump. A cruel smile curved his liplates. "You live not far away from here, do you?" He purred softly. His spark pulsed with triumph when she paled. Wincing with repulsion he gently traced small circles on the bare flesh that emerged from the border of her shirt. "Why don't we put it like this- you behave and make yourself an useful pet, so I won't be forced to step on your refuge."

No answers.

Slowly, the talons crawled back. The human remained still for a few seconds, her now void gaze down, then she settled back on her feet in a mechanic movement and stand where she was, not moving.

He let out a small chuckle: "Wise choice. Now, my radar are damaged and unable to identify my position. Where are we?"

She chewed a bit on her bottom lips, before an answer came out of her mouth: " A cave. Near Tranquillity, in California."

Tranquillity…wasn't it the location of that boy? The one with the coordinates of the Allspark? His spark quivered lightly. That would mean having the Autobots around- and in his conditions there was no way he could fight them and make it through:" You go to…- a quick flip on the World Wide Web to find the right word- …school."

"I will start frequenting it from Monday, yes."

"Fine. I need you to find out informations about a human named Samuel James Witwicky. Keep him under watch. Strictly."

The girl looked at him with the corner of the eye:" Do you know him?"

The Seeker shrugged off the question with a huff:" That doesn't concern you. Find the boy, discover everything you can on him. This is all you have to do." he lowered his gaze on her frame. " Think you can handle it, human?"

"It's Cassandra."

"I didn't ask for your designation." he cut her off. He started to turn her back at the still form, painfully dragging himself towards the woods- out of sight.

Cassandra bit her lip again, repressing a nasty remark, took a couple of seconds to let the harsh answer to slide away; her shoulder didn't relaxed:"What about yours?"

He looked back at her:"What?"

Your _designation_.

A pause.

"_Starscream_."

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**Author's note:** Hello there and welcome to the first chapter of Spark Eater! I hope everyone liked this prologue as much as I enjoyed to write it. Please, note that this is the first fanfiction I've ever writed in English- which for me is a foreign language, since I'm Italian-. If you find mistakes, point it out- I'll correct them immediately. Feel free to leave a review to ask any questions, make suggestions or tell me what you thought of it!

Bellatrix. Sauciata


	2. Chapter 1: Landed

_**Chapter two: **__**Landed**_

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**Earth. 23****rd**** September 2005. **

* * *

Samuel James Witwicky jerked awake as someone else's hand poked him right under the ribs- and quite unkindly, too.

_Uuhh…__what now? _He thought, blinking, as he slowly lifted his head from the desk. For a moment he didn't even recognize where he was, details slowly linking together.

_Click. _Ok, that was…yes, Chemistry class. He hated Chemistry with all his heart. And education in general, starting from the fact that because of the school he couldn't stay at home and try to get some decent sleep.

_Click. _All thirty-one desks occupied by someone, except the one before them- Trent sat at the opposite corner and had somehow dragged the entire class toward him, letting them alone. Too bad he didn't know that Sam was more than happy to be left out, once in a while.

_Click. _Miles scribbling something. Probably thinking to another comics.

_Click_. Trent slipping fingers in the back pocket of his new chick's jeans. Probably not thinking at all since he didn't have a brain.

_Click_. Mikaela- _ow!_

Sam shot a look at his girlfriend, eyeing her short, black nails to be sure there weren't other attacks incoming. "_What was that for_?" he whined in a whisper, rubbing his now sore side.

Mikaela picked up a pencil and pressed its point on the sketchbook's page, light blue eyes returning on the blackboard: "Put on an intelligent expression and pretend to be interested." She whispered back, lowering to write something.

Sam glanced sleepily in the same direction and became wide awake as he met Mr. Ruffo's Decepticon-like stare.

"Mr. Witwicky, something's wrong?"

" Uh…no, sir."

The professor, grey eyes fixed on Sam- who swallowed-, quirked an eyebrow. " Really? For a moment I thought you weren't listening to a single word I was saying." He barked.

_Creak. _Trent twisted in his seat to turn toward him and smirked, chewing on his gum with mouth almost wide open.

" I…er…I was just reading the…the last…" Something connected with his elbow and Sam instinctively glanced down- on the note that had magically appeared on Mikaela's sketchbook. The boy cleared his throat. "Yes, the last paragraph of the nomenclature of organic chemistry." He completed.

Mr. Ruffo didn't look so convinced, but turned again and resumed his explanation from the point he had left it. Sam let out a quiet sigh of relief.

_Have I __already told you that I love you_? He scribbled on the corner of his own book.

Mikaela rolled her eyes, but even as her features twitched in a light smile her eyes remained veiled: "Only because I've just saved your ass. " she replied sighing.

Sam smirked and leaned back on the desk, placing his chin on his forearms. There were small dark points dancing in front of him, like tiny pieces of burned paper. He shook them off with a shrug, trying to concentrate on the speech of the professor. A few second later he huffed, deciding that he couldn't bear the gaze that kept burning his neck's back, and turned again to face Mikaela: "What?" he asked.

The brunette shook her head, featured now marked with concern, but didn't look away.

" You didn't take the sleeping pills, did you?"

Sam pondered for a moment the answer, just to take time- he knew too well that trying to lie would only make things worse.

"No." he admitted forcefully.

Mikaela chewed the small gum on the top of the pencil, leaving tiny marks on the pink surface. When she spoke, her voice was quite stern. "Any particular reason?"

" I can't sleep anyway. They don't work."

" Then why didn't you tell Ratchet?"

Sam snorted. " He's already busy with setting his med bay ! " he protested, pushing the idea off his mind. "Plus, Bee is still at the HQ waiting for a check-up. More work for Ratchet. I didn't want to bother."

" Bother? _Bother? _Come on, Sam…what about your parents? I don't think they're happy to see you more and more similar to a zombie every day!"

It had been three months from the battle of Mission City- Sam had thought it would be enough, that the trauma would have run dry for the start of the new school years, but he wasn't so lucky. After three damn months Megatron was still hunting him down in the streets and Barricade kept on sending him flying around in the car junkyard. After three damn months he was still hiding it- _keep it to yourself, pretend that everything is ok, no mum, I just fell from the bed. _

Unbearable.

Sam's gaze fell on the girl at his side. Mikaela's lips were thin lines. She relaxed on her chair, looking straight to the blackboard, but the tension in her body didn't want to melt away- muscles tensed and jaw tightly shut were sufficient to prove it.

_Wow. Congratulations, idiot. You just sent your girlfriend in angsty mood. _

Yep. Being unable to explain- and more importantly to get over- the nightmares was frustrating. Seeing the brave, strong young woman that had fought along with Bumblebee getting worried and worried for his lack of sleep was _worse. _

He gently put his hand on the desk and let it slide toward Mikaela's arm.

"Look, 'Kaela...I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be bothered by it at all, I shouldn't have-"

_**TWACK. **_

An absolutely annoyed Mr. Ruffo twisted with a creak of new, starched shoes: "Another sound from back there and I'll send you out." He groaned, before starting to write again on the blackboard.

Sam turned, completely ignoring the notes that he should have started to copy, and stared agape at Mikaela, whose hand was still balled into a fist around the pencil that she had stabbed a mere inch from his fingers.

"…'Kaela?..."

The girl didn't look up, features twisted in a sneer. " Sorry, got carried away." She muttered darkly.

"The hell were you thinking??! "

Mikaela hissed through her teeth " To stick a wrench up the tailpipe of some fucking pile of scrap metal. That's it. "

Sam fell silent and pulled his hand at safe distance. "Er…pile of scrap…?" he risked, after a moment of pause.

"_Yes_. The bastard responsible for your insomnia first."

Will Lennox had once said that, even if more fragile than the men, women were often the most dangerous to confront with- and as the class got quiet, Sam couldn't help but smiled. _Consider yourself lucky, Megatron__, at least you're already dead- _he thought to himself. Even the mighty Decepticon leader would have looked much less scary with an enraged human female equipped with a chainsaw at his heels.

" You're starting to pick up more from Ratch than just mechanical's skills." He commented.

Mikaela closed her eyelids and huffed lightly, dark, curly hair falling from her shoulder as she pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly.

" Speaking of Ratchet, I'm pretty sure you know that he's gonna slaughter you if he finds out that you're in lack of sleep." She observed, and smirked when her boyfriend shuddered at the sudden thought of a very angered CMO brandishing a wrench in each hand. " And I'm not gonna save your ass from him, Sam. Be sure of that, if you keep avoiding those damn pills."

" Told you it's not my fault if they don't work." Was the muttered answer.

The brunette shrugged " So? There are still the old remedies. You know, chamomile and stuffs."

Sam grunted something incoherent, then his face lit up in a grin.

" Does sleeping with a sniper girlfriend count as remedy?"

Mikaela snorted and started playing with the pencil again, a soft smile on her lips.

* * *

The vibracall of her cell phone was vibrating in the front pocket of her bag so hard that it seemed a nest of wasps, but Cassandra ignored it and tried to concentrate on the book in front of her.

_You can call all you want…you can't make me stop studying…_she chanted softly to herself, then snorted and forcefully threw her attention on the lines.

It was only her first day at Tranquillity High. Why the hell was the damn psycho robot calling her _already?_ What was he expecting? To find Witwicky and become he's best friend in five minutes?

Cassie flipped page, rubbing her stomach. The robot…_what's the bloody thing called? Starscream? Right. How original…_Starscream seemed to prefer to poke her right in the gut, so most of the bruises were concentrated all around her bellybutton- and they ached like hell. Feeling the painful stings that ran up her body whenever she moved was strange. Almost disturbing, as much as looking in the mirror and seeing her right eye a pale, shadowed pink. _Blind. _

Cassie let a hand slip on her enclosed eyelid, feeling the small protuberance of the scar that lined it. The first day after the incident in the cave she couldn't even open it; the day after she'd regained sight, but it was like having a film over the eye. Fortunately the red colouration of the iris faded with the distance from Starscream- her mother would have freaked out even more seeing it practically glowing red like a lamp…

_Bzzz-Bzzz. _

Again the vibracall.

Cassandra got up, threw the Divine Comedy in the bag and marched out of the cafeteria with a sneer on her face, heading for the toilets. She entered, checked for other students and, once sure she was alone, she let out a long sigh, picking up her phone.

_Okay. Here we go…__now, some dignity, ok? You can do this. He's only a super advanced being from outer space ready to crush you, right? Couldn't be worse than the Math teacher. Right. Who am I kidding?_ She pressed the button to accept the call.

Starscream's rasping voice was already spitting venom at the other end of the line, without waiting: "Think you can ignore me, _human_?" he hissed irritably.

Cassie's gaze wandered around while she chewed on her bottom lips: "I was in class." She lied. "Studying."

" Spare me your excuses. I expect you to answer immediately. Am I clear?"

_Jerk. Complete, complete jerk. _"Yes." No matter how, he always found a way to get on her nerves.

"Yes what?"

Her throat knotted and a fit of anger surged in her stomach. _Fuck you, you ugly, despotic monster-fuck you, you, you._- the idea to spat this at him was tempting. So much tempting that for a moment she took a deep breath, ready to shout what she thought of him and his arrogance and- yeah, and then finding her home demolished?

"Yes-Lord-Starscream." she muttered through gritted teeth. She could perfectly picture him: disgustingly satisfied for his title.

" _Good_. Now, have you found the target?"

" I verified this morning…he's in my same history and literature class." Cassie admitted forcefully. She felt another wave of disgust and frustration, against him and herself. If she had the gut to do it, she would have refused to endanger another human, and to hell the rest.

" Do not approach him, for now. Stay back and observe him and his mate. I believe it is not a difficult task even for a fleshbag."

Cassie snorted but didn't comment: "That's all?" she asked.

" Keep an eye on the city. There are others Cybertronians disguised in the area. I cannot sense them, but you will do it for me."

Other Cybertronians? As it, other psychotic giant robots?

" Wait…how do I recognize them? Disguised as what?"

He huffed. " All of us can take the form of a vehicle. I will give you the details about what you will need to look after this evening. For the moment, the only one you have to worry about is a modified Mustang Saleen cop car. If you see him, _stay away_. Turn around and don't look back."

_Mustang…cop car…_

Something clicked.

"Barricade?"

Silence.

" Where have you heard his name?" Starscream demanded, his voice dripping suspicion.

Cassandra shivered. She didn't know how the name had slipped out of her lips- where it had come from. It just came, spontaneous like she knew it from forever, and taking along a nervous feeling.

"I don't know. Wasn't him…" she paused, closing her eyes. "…one of your comrades? The one you spoke about on…on…_Cybertron_?" she gingerly touched her lips. Now she could remember- it was something she had already heard.

Starscream audibly relaxed: " I assume you know this because of the vision you had from our meeting." He said simply, even if there was a note of sourness in his tone.

" It's not my fault."

" I didn't say that. Transfer of information is one of the common aspects of a bond." He snapped. His voice softened in a thoughtful hum. "Irritating it is, but an useful ability if used the right way."

_I don't want any of your memories inside my head, thank you very much. _Cassie shuddered at the thought, her fingers tightening around the phone: "Why should I keep away from this _Barricade_ if he's with you?"

"He's not."

"But…"

"Keep in mind only _this_, human: when I said you have to consider yourself lucky to be at my mercy, I wasn't joking. Should Barricade catch you, he would tear you apart right after using you to find me. "

The idea of something worse than Starscream was terrorizing. Cassandra felt goose bumpers rising on her skin and let out a breath to calm herself: "Got it."

" Good. You are dismissed."

_Click._

Cassie lowered her arm slowly, watching the display of her cell fading to black.

_One alien robot wasn't enough._ She thought bitterly. _Now I must watch out from the evil police car, too. _

Outside, the bell rang. The girl gathered her bag and left the toilet, ignoring the protests of her empty stomach. Watching the crowd of young girls and boys flowing in the corridors, she tried to imagine how would her life be if she hadn't go for a walk, that evening. _Just as another students here, I suppose. How lucky. I get to go to the USA for a year abroad and what? I stumble across a warrior alien robot with a pride complex. I really hope that no one gets to experience something like this..._

With a sigh, she pushed away the thought and headed for the next class. _Literature, if I recall correctly. I really hope that Mrs Connelly isn't like my previous teacher._

* * *

**Earth****. That night.**

Raphael Finnegan caught his best friend before the young girl could fall on the damp ground covered in leaves, and groaned. "You know that this is _absolutely crazy, right_? " he asked, rather annoyed.

She shrugged, blonde streaks dangling as she gently freed herself from his grip. " God, you're such an old grumpy sometimes…" she commented with a smile, picking up the torch that had slipped from her grasp. "…what's wrong to go walking? It's not even midnight!"

"It's not that, I just don't understand why are you so obsessed with the stars. -" the boy cut off the sentence, ducking to avoid a branch. Twigs and leaves brushed against the back of his neck. He shivered and angrily wiped them off. " Aren't we a bit too grown up for this? I mean, I hang out with you since we were six, and you still keep going out almost every night!"

The brunette giggled quietly: " And you didn't get used to it yet?"

Raphael rolled his eyes, but his mouth twitched in a smirk. He reached out and picked a leaf from her hair. " Considering that I'm ready to fall asleep right here and now…nope, Jadie." he replied.

Jade Rivers shook her head and reached out to take his friend by the forearm. "Come on, I want to show you the place I found last week."

"You went out without me?"

" Hey, you had fever, remember? I didn't want to drag you out there while you were sick."

" It wasn't this big problem. I could have gotten outside without dying."

" Oh? I thought you find star-gazing _childish_." She shot back.

" Who said I was serious?...how far is your new discover, anyway?"

"Turn left. There's a hill near, we must go up there."

The two of them continued for a bit. Jade was chatting softly about school- a foreign girl had arrived the same day, an half- Italian brunette that seemed a couple of year younger than all of them even being seventeen and one eye blind ("She said to the teacher that she has had an accident the first day she has gotten here. I'm sorry for her…") – and Raphael answered every now and then, quietly enjoying both her voice and the silence that surrounded them. True, he was born and raised in the middle of a metropolis before his father had decided to move, but he preferred nature to the city – and even if he pretended to be tired, he loved the sounds that echoed in the night: the chirrups of the cicadas, still presents at that time of the year, the frogs from the small pools here and there outside the periphery, silence…

…_too much silence_. He realised suddenly. There was something strange, this night. No cicadas, no frogs, no owls, just some soft blow of wind that made wavering the branches of the three.

_Usually it's like this only when there's gonna be a storm. _He thought to himself.

" Look, we're out." Jade murmured, hazel eyes pointed to the shadow boundary between the small patch of woods and the open lands. She surpassed a couple of bush and stepped on the grass, looking around. She smiled, joy playing in her iris, before she looked up. " There must be a fantastic moon, is like being under th-"

Raphael felt himself shivering, without knowing why. He knew Jade too well and knew that the blank expression that was slowly appearing on her face wasn't there to pull a prank on him: either she had seen something beautiful, or something terrorizing. He dashed out of the wood, worried.  
"Jade? Jade, what is it? Why have you stopped?"

The girl didn't answer for a second, her sight never leaving the dark sky. Then, slowly, she pointed up. _"-light."_

Raphael followed her motion. He couldn't help but felt a wave of fear and awe passing through his body.

Up above them, there was something huge, something pure white, brighter than a star.

_And it was fall__ing._

* * *

On the cliffside, Barricade turned off his lights and stared at the trail of fire that the protoform left behind as it descended and made impact on the small valley that extended in front of him.

_It seems he managed to arrive. _He sneered to himself. _I was not expecting him to succeed, being the pathetic Autobot he is. Skyfire the pacifist! Never heard of something more vile and disgusting. I wonder why Starscream used to partner with him back on Cybertron. Probably the same reason that urged that idiot to betray us.- _a fit of burning anger rushed through the Saleen.

The protoform began unfolding with slowness. Barricade could see the wounds on the pure white of Skyfire's armor from where he was.

_He won't go far with all those damage. Probably __Prime and his team have already picked up his signal. _It would have been better to retreat, for the moment. He had plenty of time to gather informations and to stay would only have alerted the Autobot of his presence. He started his engine and was about to pull away from the cliff, when he saw them. A glimpse of heat signature.

_Look what we have here__..._

The humans were two, huddled in the grass on the small hill that separated the valley from the rest of the wood. A male and a female, both very young – both watching as the impressive shape of Skyfire raised from the crater he had caused and painfully fold back into his alt-mode, a sleek Cybertronian jet much bigger than every other aircraft he had ever seen.

Barricade snorted. _Stupid insects. Always getting in the way. _He took a picture of each and saved them. The female was agitated, her face contracted in an expression of astonishment and wonder. Fear was totally absent.

_Not good, my dear… you should be afraid. __But never mind: there's still time, and I'll take care of it._

The Decepticon returned on the road, leaving the couple to their magic encounter.

_It will be a pleasure to see fear into those beautiful eyes of yours…_

* * *

**Author's note: **Hello again. I apologize for updating this so late, but I've had a lot to go through in this period- school being only one of the various reasons. I'll try to be as regular as possible, I promise =(. other than this, I wanted to thank the reviewer that commented so kindly the first chapter and all the people who put this story in their favourites or on story alerts. I really appreciate it =) please let me know what do you think of this second chapter.

P.s: Raphael Jay Finnegan is my other OC, born just a few days ago. I hope you will like him as well. ^^


	3. Chapter 2: Smouldering

_**Chapter three: **__**Smouldering**_

* * *

**Earth. 25****th**** September 2005.**

* * *

There was an odd, tinkering sound filling the space that his bulky, triangle shaped torso and bird-like legs didn't occupy. It took her some seconds to realize that it came from _him_ – he was trembling, shaking at regular intervals. The tremors began at the tips of the wings he kept somehow folded on his back and ran down his frame like a cascade.

Cassie gnawed at her lower lip, warily gripping the braces of the red Eastpack she carried on her back as she observed his red gaze kept wandering around, piercing the walls of the cavern.

_What is he up to, now? _She questioned herself, taking a couple of steps back to avoid being spotted.

The moment she had poked her head in his newly found lair she already sensed that something wasn't right. But…now…now that Starscream was practically in front of her, twitching and ruffling like some kind of caged animal, she was unsure.

She huffed lightly and sat on a rock. One of her hand automatically crawled up and clasped her shirt, pressing on her belly.

That odd sensation was still there

She had heard him fuss all day: it had been so frustrating and disturbing that she hadn't almost ate anything at lunch, barely able to swallow something with such anguish clutching her stomach- waiting impatiently for school to end to run at the refuge of the Seeker and find out what the hell had happened.

_Namely, nothing- at least nothing that has had effects so drastic that they've left a visible mark. He looks exactly the same, with the same dents and his usual ugly face._ _And yet there's this damn feeling. What is it, some kind of stupid joke? A trick to try and screw me up?! _

She sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose. For a moment she just stood where she was, forcing herself to just sit and resist to his mute call for her. Even without the bond tugging at her she was tormented by her own anxiety- she had never came late, never, too scared and unwilling to discover what he would have done to punish such lack.

_Wow, way to go, Cass. They call you rebel and there you are, ready to rush to him like a faithful dog- _she hid her face in her hands, letting dark strands of hair to freely fly down. _God, I've been in this stupid situation for only five days and I'm already shitting myself...and without anything concrete from him, too! _

…

_Was that a sigh?_

Silence.

Cassie looked up, brows raised. She remained still for a moment, waiting, then flinched slightly as another sound jangled in the cave. It started low and gradually grew into a screeching wail that made every tiny hair on her body rise with goose bumps.

_Marvellous. So not only he complains, snarls, growls and protests. He whines like an hormonal teenager AND howls like a dog. Fan-fucking-tastic. _

Her face scrunched in discomfort. It was a mournful sound, but as it raised it became almost heart wrenching. Her half-spark, safely tucked near her thorax, tightened and hauled, making her body twitching as it pushed her to reach her bonded. She swore under her breath and got up again, taking one moment to push away all of her aversion for him, before stepping in.

Predictably, Starscream sensed her presence before she could even physically feel his. He tensed for a moment, the strange yowl quickly fading into a rumbling, and brought up his claws to assume at least some sort of defensive stance; then, as he realized that it was only her, he blinked and relaxed a bit, air cycling from his vent. When she reached her usual spot, he was even _smirking_ slightly.

" Ah, there you are." He mumbled, red eyes fixing on her.

A shiver ran down Cassandra's spine, jerking instantly as his spark synchronized with the fragment that was beating in her chest. He sounded…_pleased_. And giving that in the past days he always appeared to be annoyed by her daily visit, she didn't like his tone. She didn't like it _one bit_.

"I am…sorry I'm late." She murmured timidly, making an extra effort not to ran under his sharp gave. She wasn't so sure her legs could sustain a movement like that, since they were shaking slightly. _Crap, he's scarier like this than when he's angry . Much scarier. _" I had to finish some works."

He didn't answer, merely tilting his head. His eyes were still on her. Too similar of the ones of an hawk sizing its prey.

_Maybe I could use the bag to shield me__? _she wondered doubtfully, letting the handles to slip down her shoulder and setting the Eastpack on the ground. She let go of the object with unwillingness, despite common sense told her that obviously holding it to protect herself wouldn't have any use, and stood up facing him again.

Starscream's optics narrowed a little: "Come closer." He ordered, as another shudder rushed down his body. " I can sense distress coming from you- has something happened while you were coming here?" he inquired lazily, without much conviction.

Cassie swallowed hard, cursing the bond. "A-absolutely not." She replied.

Normally he was so suspicious of her that she spent several minutes trying to persuade him of the contrary- so she nervously looked around as he continued insistently to watch her, obviously not _caring_ about her words, biting her lip and wringing her hands behind her back like a anxious child.

After a few moments under that unreadable look, she managed to find her voice again. "Huh…you want me to report…" she hesitated for a moment, suppressing a small burst of pride. If she wanted a reaction that she was able to recognize, she had to be convinced."…L.." _God how I HATE that name! "Lord _Starscream_?" _she finally managed to sputter.

In the past days she had become accustomed to some sort of routine: get back from school eat, then go back to His Infernal Majesty's refuge and _report_. The questions were always the same: Witwicky and his girlfriend, Mikaela Banes, activities of his enemies, signs of the other aliens.

Point.

Starscream blinked – almost drowsily- his mouthpiece always curled in that small, flinty smile of his. " I see you've learned some manners." He commented. "No, earthling, there's no need for you to do that, today."

She held her breath.

" No?"

"Nope." Another shiver.

" Then…I assume I am unnecessary, today?" Cassie eyed the entrance of the cave nervously.

The mech chuckled. A heartless sound that thundered in the empty space, heart-wrecking, but at least it was more similar to the kind of actions she was used to. "I didn't say _that_, girl." He pointed out. " Come closer, I said. It's not like I'm going to chew your head off..._not yet_, at least." He grinned darkly.

_Way__ to convince me. _She thought, forcing herself to get an hold on the sheer fear that kept pulsing in her body. She wanted all but rush out of his lair and go home without looking back- but she did as he commanded, shyly stepping near him.

"Closer."

Another few steps.

" _Closer_."

It was so low that it resembled more a purr than a order, the gaps between each letters strangely filled by a profound, incoherent thunderous ringing. She obeyed anyway, walking until she was in front of him, so close that she could have touched one of his gigantic ankle just reaching out.

Starscream's smile grew into a hideous, cruel grin.

" Good pet. Now- stay absolutely still."

As if she could move. The half-spark had her grounded. There wasn't anything else to do.

So she stood her ground.

And silently prayed.

* * *

" Leiana Figuerora, get your back here _this instant_!!"

The day was so warm that even breathing was a discomfort. William Lennox let out a wary sigh, plunging the sponge in the bucket.

"Where the hell does he find the strength to yell all day with such high temperatures- " he grumbled, shooting a glance at his companion, before fishing the now soaked terry-cloth from the tray and slapping it on the dark hood. The huge pick-up visibly shuddered as streams of cold water flowed down on the metal; after a moment, the vehicle seemed to relax, slumping on its tires with an audible sigh of content.

Will couldn't help but grinned and patted his free hand on the hood, taking advantage of the temporary lowering of the GMC. "– and why did you chose _black_ for your paintjob-" he completed, stifling a laugh "is beyond the reach of my understanding, 'Hide."

The engine sputtered and rumbled quite blatantly, spitting a series of clicks and whirrs. Finally the incomprehensible sentences switched into the usual gruff voice.

" Helps me to blend better in the darkness."

" And it ensures an heart attack, with this damn heat, too. " The man commented, running the sponge up and down the hood to scrub away some nasty-looking spots of mud and dust.

Ironhide huffed lightly. " We don't have hearts, Major. Plus, our sparks burn all the time, so I don't see why an increase of temperature could damage mine."

Will stopped scrubbing and plopped the cloth in the bucket again, circling the truck to reach the valve embed into the ground. "True." He admitted, picking the rubber hose. He let the water run for a few seconds, then walked over his spot again. "But it does ruin your mood." He commented, spraying the icy-cold liquid on the hood.

Ironhide hissed, giving some sort of outraged noise and immediately backed out a little… only to sprung forward a moment later, bumping his human-brother-in-arms an inch above the belly.

It obviously wasn't one of the blows he usually delivered to the enemies and it didn't hurt- but it still managed to leave Will breathless.

" See?" he puffed. "You're jumpy."

" Am not! "

" Jumpier than usual."

" You just caught me off-guard, that's all."

" _LEIANA_!!"

William scowled as another ear-splitting shout positively detonated, forgetting for a moment to reply to the disguised Autobot. "Epps, she heard you. Knock it off already!"

Robert Epps just folded his muscular arms across his chest and glanced at the backyard of the Lennox's house with a mix of resignation and aggravation. " Yeah, right." He muttered, dark eyes scorching the yellow-green lawn. " She'd be around with those fucking headphones. I told her that she was gonna give us a hand so she had to put that damn thing away _for one friggin' day_." The last part of the sentence was practically a shout. Will just patiently poured the water down the grill of the truck. Hide grumbled a little when the chilliness hit his metal flesh again but kept still, apparently listening, and after a moment relaxed again under the spout.

" Aren't you being a little too stern? She's just a girl…"

Epps choked on a growl." Just a girl? _Just a girl_?! Wait 'till Anna hits her teens and then it will be just a girl my _**ass**_!" he snapped. " God, sometimes I wonder if she's even human, with that temper. She's more stubborn than a damn mule."

" And what else would she be?"

" An hand grenade on two legs."

" Really?"

Will looked at the windshield, blinking. He had not expected 'Ironhide to enter the conversation, given the fact that the though Weapon Specialist was the last 'bot to become interested in humans. " It's just a figure of speech, 'Hide. A way to say that…"

"…-that uncle Bobby is way _too tired_ to look after an army brat."

Ironhide shifted his weight from tire to tire, allowing his human companion to reach the more difficult points. " I wasn't aware you have a sparkling, Sergeant."

Epps jerked, his face twisted in annoyance. " In fact I don't." he stated, still glancing away. "Google _babysit_, big guy, and you'll know my doom."

There was a buzz, signalling that the bulky mech was acceding the World Wide Web, a couple of moments of suspension- then Ironhide snickered and if possible Epps looked even more cantankerous. " I would like to see you trying to run after a kid that constantly get into fistfights with boys older than her." he muttered, offended, shooting a glare at the truck.

"I already did." was the mischievous answer. "Who do you think has raised 'Bee?"

Will smirked. "Poor thing." he commented under his breath.

"I heard you, Lennox."

"Kidding."

"You'd _better_ be."

" See what I meant? You're all calm and relaxed one moment and the next you get bossy. Lunatic."

Epps, already tired to be ignored, growled.

"Get it over." He huffed. " And anyway, 'Hide, Bee is a mech and…well…he's _Bee_. Try dealing with a pissed off, bitchy Leiana and you'll get your aft kicked. "

Ironhide internally smirked, without replying. An instant message floated across the comm. Link to the Autobot facility he had kept open a moment later.

: _Optimus Prime to Ironhide:_

_: Ironhide here. What is it, Prime?:_

_: Ratchet is still occupied in the med bay, and it appears he will keep working for a long time.:_

Invisible gears clicked and whirred in the imitation of a human sigh. Ironhide felt discomfort crawling in his thick frame and sneaking around his spark at the voice of his leader. Optimus was good at hiding his own emotions- but not _that _good. Not after so little time from the death of Jazz. Even if he seemed calm and secure, Ironhide could sense uneasiness and weariness in his tone. The thought of the CMO stuck in the medical wing of the newly-founded base stick with that impression.

:_ It was is turn on duty tonight.: _he remembered. :_ Want me to replace him? The residence of the Lennox is not so far from Tranquillity. I could get there before darkness falls.:_

_: It won't be necessary, old friend. You have your duty as Guardian to fulfil first. Besides, Colonel Morshower has referred that he needs one of us to oversee the works for A-two, and you are the closest to the area. I will go on patrol tonight.:_

Normally, Ironhide would have protested. He wasn't the best bot to deal with humans interactions and he knew it too well. But he knew that starting an argument for it would have worsened things.

_: Very well, then. : _he replied. :_ Ironhide out: _he closed the link, but wasn't able to return to the human discussion. Words barely touched his audio receptors. His thoughts were still obstinately fixed on one point.

_Bet he's still trying to repair Jazz's protoform._ _Old stubborn pit-spawned medic… why doesn't he let it go? Why does he keep trying?_

He grimaced to himself, stiffening involuntary as he realized for the countless time that the answer was obvious.

After three months from Mission City's showdown, Ratchet was still feeling guilty for his incapacity to save Jazz from death's grip. Even if it wasn't his fault, even if it had been Jazz himself to …ask him not to blame himself.

_In the last moments of his live. As his optics dimmed and energon spilled from the torn wrecks that had remained of his body and his smile__, his last one_-

Lennox stilled for a moment, asking if he had hit one of the bumps that were still healing on his metal skin, but Hide muttered something, forcing himself to keep his mind away from the lieutenant that was no more.

_- faded._

**

* * *

**

"_So, in the last two weeks we introduced __the basis of literature. I hope that every of you has taken notes; still, I've prepared a scheme to resume all the concepts, and if any of you have doubts, I'm here on purpose. __You only need to ask. With that said, let's go ahead with the lesson… open your book at page eleven, please."_

_It had turned out that Rosa Lee Connelly was not only a Miss and not a Mrs, but also the youngest teacher in Tranquillity High and with a boundless passion for her subject. The last of these features was the most important, as it was what guaranteed the silence that reigned in the classroom._

To think that I was expecting another old hag, like the one I had back home…

_Cassandra, lazily going through her book to the requested page, glanced at the young woman who sat behind the desk. M__iss Connelly was waiting patiently, a quiet smile that played on her lips as she eyed her pupils. Her reddish-brown hair fell freely down her shoulder like a copper colored cascade, drawing waves on her light purple pullover. _

_Overall__, she could more easily bring to mind a recently graduated student._ And maybe the impression isn't too far to the reality. Oh, well. Who cares?

" _All ready? Good. Now that we know the general characteristic of __literature we're going to take a look at the ages in which it developed, for we cannot start to study specifically American\English literature without knowing at least a bit of History…" light grey eyes wandered on the class. " In fact, the different historical periods have influenced various characters of literature, and its function as well: for example, the early works were written for a religious or didactic purpose, while in the Middle Age we have the blooming of romance and in the Age of Reason nationalistic epics and philosophical tracts. You can easily see that, depending on the mentality of the time, literature can assume different traits…" _

" That's boring, human. _Boring_. You don't have anything else to show me? "

Earth, grass, saliva. A bit of blood that pinched her tongue.

Cassandra coughed and forcibly swallowed when a wave of bile invaded her mouth, suppressing all the other essences. Her head was spinning: black dots danced in front of her eyes, along with confused flashes of memories. All the rest – the cave, the stones, the thin blades of grass growing here and there, where the sun was able to get, the dusty brown, bulky silhouette of Starscream- was a blurry mess, as a canvas on which someone had randomly squeezed tubes of paint, so confusing and disturbing.

Somewhere 31 feet above her, Starscream let out a loud snort: " Good Primus, you fleshing are _so weak_…" he muttered, his rasping voice tinted with disappoint. "Get up. I didn't make anything to incapacitate you at the point you _can't stand_ on your own."

Cassie looked up, trembling, and immediately sank back when she felt a stab of searing pain surging in her head. _God-I'm going to be sick…oooh..._she sourly thought, sure that at any moment she would throw up the poor lunch she had managed to eat before venturing back again into what had become the lair of the mech.

She stiffened as a cold, sharp digit crawled under her t-shirt, pressing on the naked flesh underneath it. It gingerly stung her skin for a moment, and she could feel Starscream's hesitation through the link of the imprinting- a flood of annoyance, boredom, distaste... _curiosity_.

" Wait-" she dully managed to whisper, feeling her mouth dry. Obviously, he didn't listen. His claw scraped against her skin for a moment, making its way toward the collar of the shirt.

Then, there was a powerful tug- and her body was snatched from the ground.

Cassandra resisted the urge to yelp as he lifted her to his eye-level, dangling between two of his fingers.

Only the fabric prevented her to fall, and it was already yielding- but she felt so bad that, for the moment, she didn't care if he was going to drop her or something along that line: all she wanted was to be left alone and let her dizziness drain.

Starscream hellish gaze casted upon her, in all its crimson, piercing glory. A soft _click_ could be heard as his vision readjusted to focus on her swinging form.

"Come on, organic , a bit of attitude! Pull yourself together! " He snapped, impatient, when a groan escaped her lips. "It's not like your dying. I thought you were much more strong, considering the endless amount of sarcasm and protests that you are capable of."

"For the hundredth time- it's Cassandra, you sadist." She croaked, kicking into the air. The abrupt movement caused her to slightly slip from his grasp, and she gave a tiny squeak, one hand clutching the point of the talon that protruded over her shoulder and holding for dear life. " and if you'll keep treating me like I'm some sort of fucking _hamster_ I'll be dead _very soon_! "

"Yeah, yeah, right." Starscream glared at her, clearly keeping a hold on his temper – as well as his titanic strength- to force himself not squish her instinctively: "I'd stop squirming if I were in your place." He warned, twisting his fingers to bring her in an half-upright position. "I could let you go."

"By accident or just to see what kind of effects free fall would have on my oh-so-squashy body?" She retorted through gritted teeth.

He smirked. "Pick one." The air that came out of his vents was impregnated of the heavy scent of metal, similar to the stench that would rise from a large amount of shed blood. Cassie shuddered, keeping the pictures out of her brain. She didn't need to add gruesome details to his bird-like features- she was already too scared and nauseated, slowly beginning to suffer from the 31 feet in height to which she had been raised. "Put me down." She groaned, feebly, loosing at once all of the boldness she had . "Put me down, Starscream…"

" I don't think I will too soon." The Seeker merely narrowed his optics, bringing up his other hand. Icily cold fingers closed around her body, ensuring her into a ring of steel while the one that hold her shirt ripped free, tearing the fabric apart. She growled indignantly, bringing up her arms to keep the tattered cloth from slipping down her shoulder. He cycled from his vents, again, using his thumb to press on her chest and force her into stillness. "Be quiet, now."

Cassandra blinked, brown and red eyes watering alike as she momentarily forgot about her torn t-shirt. "What the hell- Oh no, not again…" her voice trailed off as a finger pressed a bit harder around her belly, squeezing to cut her off. " Let me down, you monster- _**LET ME DOWN**_! I don't want you in my head!! _Stay away from my head_!!"

" Keep still, human…keep still and don't do nonsense." He murmured absently, his tone wavering.

He brought the fist in which she was trapped near to his faceplate. For a moment she could see distinctly the intricate marks that were carved on his armor, forming strange, cryptic symbols not so different from those that adorned ancient battle mask, before his voice became so low and hoarse that it sent vibrations along his whole body, shaking cables and gears. It slowly abandoned any word with some sense to mutate into a deep, concentrated rumble.

Cassie felt a tug at her chest and swallowed hard, eyes wide as coin. "No, no, no, no, don't you dare, _don't you dare to do it_ again- "

He had never, ever used their bond to extrapolate what she knew directly from her mind- not before that day, at least. The moment she had stopped in front of him, he had started humming some words in his native language. And then the link, the fragment of his spark embed deeply somewhere inside her, had started to warm. And while it warmed, scattered fragments of memories had started to dance in front of her own eyes, independently of her will.

Another tug tore in her chest, much more powerful.

_Like __now._

Under the cockpit that rested on Starscream's broad chest, protecting the encasing of his spark, rays of light beamed softly, pulsing. As the wordless, alien melody grew louder and Starscream's optics narrowed like cat eyes, something in her seemed to move along, too.

He was preparing to dive again into her mind, using the bond, like he had tried to do moments before, and her half-spark was reacting to his.

And it was so damn _unfair_. _He can manipulate the bond and I can't even lock him out!_

_I would gladly cry now. _She thought, shrugging uselessly.

Still, her eyes refused to let tears out.

As mush as her mind refused to surrender at the feeling to the feeling of violation. Strange. So very strange. She had heard that victims of abuse could feel dirty, contaminated from who had taken their body against their will.

She didn't.

True, fear was always present: a cool blanket just under her skin. But it was more disruptive than the distress of having her mind invaded by someone she hated.

_**Hate. **_

Cassie's face stretched slowly in a steady mask. She clenched her fists around the claw that forced her down, digging her nails into his metal. The word had triggered something- namely, a remembrance.

"_Can I stand?"_

"_Absolutely not."_

"_Afraid I might smash a rock on my toe or something else?"_

" _You'd better not. And-"_

A wide, furious grin spread across her features.

"- don't try ever again to use the bond to hurt me. It's a sign of disrespect for the connection." She quoted, in a sing-song voice.

_He didn't block me when I used that rock to hurt myself…as well as __I cannot stop him from try to enter in my head. _

_But that doesn't mean that I can't try to whisk him out.__ As he __**did**__. _

_I just…need…to focus…a bit._

* * *

Author's note: and it is done- took me a month to plan it out and half to write it but finally I managed to finish this. Phew! The chapter was supposed to be longer, but since I felt that it could result rushed and heavy I cut it a bit shorter than the original one. Don't worry, the missing part will be in next chapter, as well as the proper introductions of some characters - Rose and Leiana got a mention from others. We'll see them more closely later.

Thanks to whose that have been so kind to review once again and patiently waited for me. Reviews are the most rewarding gifts you can offer. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the others =].

Bellatrix.


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